You Don't Know Me
by Gage93
Summary: Another one of those Annual Policeman's Ball fics, to the tune of Ray Charles's You don't know me. Set late season five.
1. Chapter 1

**You Don't Know Me.**

**Disclaimer: **Just borrowing, both characters and song.

**Spoilers: **_Nesting Dolls, Committed_.

He hated these things, these formal gatherings where the political heavyweights of Las Vegas mixed and mingled, each person trying to get a leg up on the other. It had only been a few short, well long actually, months since he'd been to another one of these, the last one announcing Conrad Ecklie as the new director of the Crime Lab. Now, it was the Annual Policeman's Ball, and as one of the supervisors of the Lab, he was expected to attend. He'd really hoped that this year he might have been able to get out of it, having already promised Sara the night off, but Ecklie was insistent, letting him know that if he was so concerned about being short staffed, he could always take back Sara's request and have her work. He didn't of course. Sara never asked for a night off and after witnessing the year she'd been having, he was relieved she'd asked for one. Instead, he left Greg with Sofia and placed himself on call.

Grissom pulled at his bow tie, trying to loosen it just a little without messing it up and having Catherine scold him for undoing her handiwork. He was so uncomfortable, both with the formal wear and his surroundings. At least he had Catherine there to keep him company, she having left swing under the very capable hands of Nick and Warrick. Jim was around too…somewhere, but Grissom was having trouble finding him. It appeared that Jim was better at hiding than he was.

"Stop playing with your tie."

He dropped his hand guiltily and looked at Catherine. She looked lovely, as usual, in a deep blue dress and her hair styled. Catherine, unlike him, was in her element at these gatherings. She was cool and calm and she could control the room. She'd make him dance and he'd oblige and perhaps even enjoy himself a little, thankful to have a friend like her who he could be comfortable with.

"Sorry," he spoke, frowning when Catherine rolled her eyes. Catherine glanced at her watch. "You only have three more hours to go, Gil. Leave it until then. You can rip it off before you head over to the lab."

"What makes you think I'm going to the lab after?"

Catherine rolled her eyes again. "Come on, Gil."

He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. Glancing around the ballroom, he asked, "Have you found Jim's hiding place yet?"

"Why? You thinking of joining him?"

Grissom snorted. "If only it were that easy. Ecklie would sniff me out right away if I tried to hide there."

Catherine laughed. "You know, the best hiding place is out in the open. How about hiding out on the dance floor?"

He raised an eyebrow, and then took her elbow, leading her out onto the floor. His hand landed on her back just as Frank Sinatra's voice began to fill the room.

The song was about one verse in when something caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks. Sara, in a stylish black dress, was standing at the entrance of the ballroom. Catherine bumped into him. "Sorry," he spoke softly as his feet began to move again, thankful that Catherine had let the incident pass, continuing on with her small talk.

Whatever it was Catherine had said, he'd never know. The instant he spotted Sara, his attention had been diverted. A young man had joined Sara, his left hand behind her, presumably resting on the small of her back. He was guiding her into the room.

It was a date, had to be a date. She'd asked for the night off because she had a date. His pulse quickened. It was one thing to see her on a date, but to see Sara with a man at a formal ball, one which he was in attendance, was heartbreaking. Dancing on autopilot, Grissom studied the young man, trying to place him. He'd never seen the man before; he was sure of it. The man was not a member of the Las Vegas Law Enforcement, so unless the young man worked for the Mayor's office, Sara had invited him. His heart stopped. So did the music. Grissom dropped Catherine's hand as his other hand fell from her back. He followed Catherine from the floor, his eyes still on Sara and her young man.

Beside him, he was faintly aware of Catherine glancing around. Her words broke through. "Sara's here. What's she doing here?"

His reply was snarky. "Every member of the lab was invited, Catherine."

"That isn't what I meant, Gil. I just didn't expect to see her at one of these. Did you know she was coming?"

He shrugged because any verbal response, or even a shake of his head, would have given him away.

"She looks good. And who is her date?"

Grissom shrugged again, watching as Sara's head fell back with her laughter. Apparently the date was funny as well as handsome. He watched on, raising an eyebrow as he saw Jim approach the couple, emerging from his hiding place to meet the young man accompanying Sara.

"We should go greet them, Gil. It will give you someone else to talk to." Catherine was grinning and he rolled his eyes. He wanted to escape and disappear before Sara saw him, but he followed Catherine, knowing how well a disappearing act would be received. Sara would take it personally and even if she'd moved past those romantic feelings she once held for him, as she seemingly had, his disappearance would still hurt her. They were, after all, still friends, closer than they had been in a long while.

"It's definitely not a first date. Look how comfortable they are with each other."

Catherine's words were like a vice on his heart. For somebody who spoke of how clueless he could be, Catherine sure had her moments. With every word she spoke, the vice gripped tighter.

Sara smiled softly as they approached, her eyes holding his. "Hello Grissom," she spoke quietly, extending her hand in a formal greeting appropriate to their surroundings.

"Hello Sara," he replied even more quietly, taking her hand in his.

_You give your hand to me  
And then you say "hello,"  
And I can hardly speak  
My heart is beating so  
And anyone can tell  
You think you know me well  
Well, you don't know me_

Her hand lingered in his. She gently pulled it from his grasp and offered it to Catherine, her voice returning to its normal volume. "Hello, Cath."

"Hi Sara. You look great."

Grissom watched as Sara blushed slightly. "Grissom, Catherine, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Jonah Leary."

A friend, she introduced him as a friend. The vice on Grissom's heart relaxed only slightly. The word, friend, didn't mean anything, really. Sara was a private person and likely keeping her relationship private.

"Jonah, these are more colleagues of mine, Catherine Willows and Gil Grissom, my boss."

Jonah was a friend and he was her boss. The vice tightened once again.

"Hello, Catherine, Hello…" Jonah Leary paused and Grissom smirked slightly, sensing Jonah's confusion as to what to call him.

"Either Gil or Grissom is fine."

Jonah Leary smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gil."

"Join us," Catherine put in. "We can pull a couple more seats around our table. Jim's seat has been empty all night."

Grissom missed Jim's eye roll as he was so focused on Sara's chuckle. Catherine took both men by the elbow, leading them back to the table. Grissom glanced back to see Jonah Leary's hand still hidden behind her back, guiding her behind them.

"So, Jonah," Catherine started once they were seated, "How do you know Sara?"

"Sara and I are old friends. I knew her in San Francisco. I lost touch with her for awhile…"

"But now here you are."

"Here we are," Jonah repeated and Grissom found his breaths shortening.

Catherine continued on. "What do you do, Jonah?"

"I'm an elementary school teacher."

"Really? Here in Vegas?"

"San Francisco."

"And you're visiting Sara here."

"Well, Sara looked me up when she visited San Francisco a couple of months ago and we got reacquainted. I was really sorry when we lost touch, so first opportunity I had, I came down to visit." Catherine smiled, Jim grinned and Grissom had to stop himself from flying out of his seat and running outside for air. The conversation was torture on him.

The next hour was a blur. Catherine, Jim and Jonah talked while he and Sara sat silently. His focus was on Sara, watching as she sipped champagne, finishing one flute and starting another. When Jonah stood to get her a refill, his attention was brought back to the group.

"He's great, Sara, really great," Jim spoke and Catherine nodded, ""Really great, Sara."

Sara smiled a smile that to his imagination almost looked forced, crossing only half of her face. He said nothing. Sara shifted closer to him, her knees nearly touching his. Her hand fell to his thigh, reeking havoc on his senses. She shifted even closer, leaning forward as if to whisper something into his ear. He held his breath, waiting, but Jonah returned, handed her another glass of champagne and stole her away for a dance. He stared on mournfully as Jonah led her away, his leg tingling where her hand had been.

_No you don't know the one  
Who dreams of you each night  
And longs to kiss your lips  
And longs to hold you tight  
Oh, I'm just a friend  
That's all I've ever been  
Cos you don't know me_

Normally when he was faced with an emotion he didn't know how to deal with, he buried it, but whatever it was he was feeling as he watched Sara dance with her date, laughing and smiling, would not be buried. Instead, that emotion found its way to his heart, clenching it painfully. For years he'd been afraid to let himself care for her, finding out now, it was not something he could stop himself from doing. He'd cared for her all along. Two years ago, she'd offered him something, a life with her, and he'd missed that chance. Now, he was a friend, a very good friend, hopefully, as he felt he'd been over the past couple of months, but still a friend none-the-less. There was another man taking the chance with Sara that he hadn't let himself take.

_For I never knew  
The Art of Making Love  
Though my heart aches with love for you  
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by  
The chance that you might love me too_

He didn't notice Jim slip away and disappear as Sara danced with Jonah. When the song finished and Sara and Jonah returned to the table, it was just the four of them, Catherine and Jonah talking and laughing, he and Sara sitting quietly. Then, there were two. Jonah stood, offering his hand to Catherine. "Catherine, would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to. Grissom is only good for a couple of dances throughout the evening," Catherine joked while wearing a smirk, but he could not find it in himself to smile.

He was left with Sara, making quiet conversation and letting it get bogged down by long, awkward silences. The song ended and he waited for Catherine and Jonah to return to the table, but they remained on the floor. Grissom wasn't sure he could endure another five minutes of few words and awkward silences, so he extended his hand to Sara. "Sara, would you like to dance?"

Sara looked up at him, her eyes staring at him in complete surprise. "Yeah, um, sure."

He smiled through pursed lips as he led her out onto the floor. He mentally prepared himself for one dance, a chance to hold her close, five minutes to last him five years, and then, the irony set in. The band began to play Ray Charles and his heart clenched when the very first lyrics to _You Don't Know Me_ sounded.

*****

Sara glanced at the dance floor, watching as Jonah and Catherine stood in place, clapping for the band and making no move to come off the dance floor. She sighed, taking another sip of her champagne and feeling the effects. How did she let Jonah talk her into this thing? The original plan, when her former foster brother told her he was coming for a visit, was to take him to dinner and spend an evening talking. Visiting him in San Francisco during her suspension had gone a long way to helping her move beyond some of the things holding her life captive, so when he said he wanted to come for a visit, she pictured more of the same catching up. Of everybody she'd been fostered with, she'd been closest to him. He'd watched out for her, but now it seemed, he'd abandoned her to the cruelest of fates, being dressed up in formal, sitting alone with the one man she was in love with, but who would never let himself love her back. She'd been held captive by him all night, looking oh so handsome in his formal wear, the beauty of his eyes holding her gaze, she longing for him…

"Sara, would you like to dance?"

Her head flew up. Grissom could have asked her any other question and she would not have been more surprised. "Yeah…um…sure," she stammered.

He led her to the dance floor, taking her hand gently in his and placing his other hand on her back. 'Of course,' she thought when _You Don't Know Me _filled the room, Ray Charles's song of unrequited love striking at her heart. She closed her eyes as tears began to form and as Grissom pulled her close.

It was the saddest dance of her life. He held her close, gently pulling her in closer as the song wore on. She wept silently, tears falling onto his shoulder as she ached with yearning. He'd been so amazing recently, first by being there for her as she spilled the traumatic details of her childhood, then later, helping her work through the case at the asylum. If it was possible, she fell in love with him even more over the course of those two events, knowing how hopeless it was as he'd never offer her any more than friendship.

Ray Charles's poignant and powerful lyrics continued to resonate across the room, filtering into her soul, breaking her heart a little more with each verse.

_You give your hand to me  
And you say goodbye  
I watch you walk away  
Beside the lucky guy  
Oh to never know  
The one who loves you so  
Well you don't know me_

_For I never knew  
The Art of making love  
Though my heart aches with love for you  
Afraid and shy, I let the chance go by  
A chance that you might love me too_

Sara choked back a sob. She squeezed her eyes shut and her forehead fell to Grissom's shoulder. His palm was so warm on her back, pulling her in closer and holding her to his chest. She head him sigh, or imagined she heard him sigh and she felt herself tremble. This was too hard, dancing with him like this, being so close and loving him so completely, knowing at the same time that the love was one-sided, that she was only a friend. She couldn't breathe. All she could seem to do was to weep silently. She had to get away from the heartbreaking proximity of him. The song ended and she pulled away quickly, scrambling to find Jonah. She found Jonah and jerked him off to the side. "Joey, can we get out of here, now? Let's go somewhere, me and you."

"Sure, Sara, I'll get your coat."

She nodded, wiping her eyes. A hand landed on her arm and she tensed momentarily, relaxing quickly after realizing that it was not Grissom's touch. She turned to find Catherine. "Hey Cath, Jonah and I are going to head out."

"Sara?"

She forced a smile. "Yeah?"

"Is Jonah a widow?"

Sara furrowed her brow. "What? No, he's not."

"He's wearing a wedding ring." Catherine paused for a moment, studying her. "Sara, you know what you're doing, right?"

Sara rolled her eyes. Of course they wouldn't believe that she and Jonah were only friends. They'd never believed her before. "Cath, Jonah and I grew up together. We're really only just friends. I've met his wife, and his two beautiful children and they all know he's here."

"Okay, good," Catherine spoke slowly. "I just…didn't want to see you get hurt again."

It meant a lot, especially after the fight they'd had a couple months before. She smiled. "Thanks, Cath."

Catherine returned her smile. "It was great to see you out like this."

"Yeah." She turned to Jonah who had returned with her coat. He slipped it on her and she turned back to Catherine. "Goodnight, Catherine."

"Goodnight, Sara."

*****

Grissom stood in place after Sara had ripped herself from his arms and ran from him. He didn't have time to think about what had happened, Sara drifting into him while dancing, then fleeing from him once the song ended, as his pager had vibrated just as it happened. Mercifully, he had a scene to go to. He could leave this function before it killed him.

He moved to the exit, stopping to tell Catherine he was leaving as he made his way out. He stopped just outside the door, surprised to find Sara and Jonah by the exit.

"Griss, you're leaving too?"

"Yeah," he held up his pager. "I've got a scene."

"Oh…saved by the page." He waited for her to offer to help as she normally would have done, but Sara didn't say anything more.

"Are you ready, Sara?" Jonah spoke beside her and Grissom watched as she nodded.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Gil."

He nodded, shaking Jonah's hand. He turned to Sara. "Goodnight, Sara."

"Goodnight."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Jonah smiled and turned Sara away from him. He watched silently as Jonah began to lead her away, turning when the sight became too painful.

_You give your hand to me  
And you say goodbye  
I watch you walk away  
Beside the lucky guy  
Oh, you never, never know  
The one who loved you so  
Well you don't know me_

_You don't love me  
You don't know me_

*****

Sara glanced back over her shoulder to see Grissom turn away from them. Her eyes were cloudy with tears as she looked back in longing. Jonah dropped his hand from her back. "I'm sorry I made you take me here."

"It's alright."

"Was it a horrible break up?"

She turned and looked at Jonah, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You and your boss, was it hard?"

"We didn't break up. We were never together."

"Oh, I could have sworn. You two look like you ended a relationship, the way you looked at each other, the way you danced and clung to each other. Sar, I've never seen such mournful faces. And you're so intimate."

She turned her gaze away from Jonah, looking forward. She continued to walk. "We're not intimate.'

Jonah stopped her, turning her back to face him. "Sara, I saw the way you looked at him. And the way you acted…when you were seated, you shifted yourself so that your knees were in between his legs and when he widened his legs to accommodate you, you shifted closer again, placing a hand on his leg. That's intimate."

Sara bit her lip. She had shifted closer, with the purpose of telling Grissom who Jonah was. Still, shifting between his legs, the champagne must have lowered her inhibitions, letting her drift into him the way she'd always wanted to.

"I would have thought you two were together if it weren't for the look on his face. He looked so sad and so full of longing, and when you put your hand on his leg and leaned into him, he didn't know what to do. His hand flexed and hovered between your waist and your leg and your hand."

"What are you, a CSI?"

Jonah scoffed. "It was pretty clear, to me and probably to anyone who didn't know you well. That was why I asked you to dance when I did, more for him than for you. He looked ready to collapse and when I led you away to the dance floor and glanced back at him, he looked even worse."

She turned away again. "I had too much champagne and Grissom is uncomfortable with anyone touching him."

"That's not it. Sara, I know I can't claim to know you like I used to, but I know what love looks like and I know what longing looks like. You're in love with him."

She didn't say anything.

"And he's in love with you."

She shook her head. It wasn't true and she couldn't begin to hope now. Tears filled her eyes. "No, he's not."

"Sara, he was heartbroken all night and his eyes never left you."

"Jonah, stop. It's not true."

"It is, Sara," Jonah spoke gently. "He's in love with you; I know it."

"You don't know."

"I do. Trust me."

She turned to Jonah, tears stinging her eyes. "He won't take the chance."

"I think her will. He loves you. Ask him."

She stared into Jonah's eyes. They were so sincere and so hopeful. She nodded and glanced back, seeing Grissom's form take his keys from the valet. "Joey, wait for me?"

Jonah nodded and she took off running. Grissom was about to climb into his vehicle when she shouted, "Grissom!"

Grissom turned and faced her, his car door open at his side. She stopped right in front of him. "Is it true?" she asked, tearfully.

He cocked his head and furrowed his brow. "Is what true?"

"What Jonah said, is it true?" She wasn't making any sense, she knew it, but those words that so often spilled forth in his presence weren't coming.

"You're going to have to help me out here, Sara. What did Jonah say?"

She swallowed, staring into his blue eyes and speaking calmly, "He said that you're in love with me. Is it true?"

Grissom was silent. More tears fell from her eyes. "Grissom?"

"I don't know," he answered softly.

"What does that mean? You could be?"

"I…I care for you, Sara."

She gazed at him, her eyes still teary. He was watching her. She cupped his face, her thumbs on his cheeks, her index fingers running over his ears. Lifting herself onto her toes, she leaned forward and kissed him, closing her eyes when she felt his hands rest lightly on her back. When he pulled away, her eyes shot open. "Gil?"

"Sara, your date…"

Sara shook her head. "We're just friends, Grissom. Didn't you see his wedding ring?" At Grissom's dumb expression, she continued, "He was my foster brother. I promised you I've try to move past all that stuff that was consuming me, so I looked him up when I went to San Francisco during my suspension."

Grissom let out a small laugh and she could hear the relief. She leaned forward and kissed him again. All too soon, he pulled away again. "Sara, we can't do this here."

She nodded. "Will you come over after you finish with your scene?"

"You won't have company?"

Sara shook her head. "He's staying at the Luxor."

"I could be late."

"That's alright. I won't mind at all. Please, Gil?"

Grissom smiled, taking her hand in his. "I'll see you later."

"I'll be waiting," she whispered, letting her hand fall to her side as he released it. He climbed into the car and closed the door. She turned and walked back to Jonah, tears still in her eyes, but a smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **My other story is so dark right now, I needed to write something a little nicer, so the long awaited, little asked for, continuation of my other story is now here. I hope you enjoy.

**Part II: The First Day of My Life**

Hours of nerves had built up to this, staring at the door. She couldn't help but do it. Did he say he'd come over? She wasn't sure. What had he said? She tried to remember the words. What was it? And she remembered. _I'll see you later_. He'd said it while grasping her hand. His look had said more. He was coming over…after finishing with the scene. Just how long was his scene going to take anyways?

She'd been waiting with nervous anticipation over night, drumming her fingers on the table at the diner, tapping her foot on the ground, her knee coming up and down, shaking and twitching as though she was low on blood sugar, fidgeting and constantly checking her watch…her phone. Butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and had been fluttering around in there ever since. She'd barely heard Jonah's jokes about being a little over-dressed for the diner, and then blushed at Jonah's amused glances when he caught her mind elsewhere. She'd grinned all night and tried to hide her uncontrollable, indiscreet, beaming smile behind her mug of coffee, dropping her head down only to lift it and beam again. And, she'd blush again, a deeper shade of red as she thought of that kiss…correction, those kisses.

Everything seemed lighter. Talking to Jonah was easier than it was in California, as though her past wasn't such a big hurdle anymore. It was so much easier just to be and to be happy when she didn't have the weight of what was once a seemingly unrequited love bearing down on her. She could reconnect with Jonah and feel more weight lift because now it was only about her and her past and her acceptance of that past and her decision to move beyond it. No longer did she have the added weight of trying to do the impossible, of trying to move past her feelings for Grissom. She didn't have to anymore. Grissom cared for her…might possibly even love her if he let himself figure out what that really meant. Not that it stopped Grissom from entering her mind as she had coffee with Jonah. No, the twitching and foot-tapping and drumming and fidgeting and constant smiling were all pretty clear signs that Grissom had not left her mind. No, he'd only moved from painful, unrequited love, to man who had every synapse in her firing as anticipation built in her.

She thought she might have been a little unfair to Jonah, denying him something, too much of her attention focused on Grissom and on later. After all, Jonah had traveled all that way to visit her but Jonah took it all with good humor, laughing at her and sincerely telling her that happiness looked good on her. More fidgeting and toe-tapping later and they parted, with a promise to have dinner the next day. When Jonah went back to his hotel to sleep, she'd gone back to her apartment to wait and pace and shower and change and attempt a nap only to toss and turn and change again, and wait and pace and stare at the door some more.

Sara sat sideways on the sofa, her feet tucked into the arm, still staring, though the fidgeting had lessened significantly. She wrapped her arms around her knees and drummed her toes on the cushion, still watching the door. When her cell phone rang, it startled her, causing her to propel herself from the sofa two feet in the air. Calming her nerves, she looked at the call display and paused. _Grissom._ Was he calling to say he wasn't coming? Or that he'd be at the scene for awhile longer? Or that she was needed at some scene? Please, she thought, please don't be canceling. Postponing, she could handle, she could force herself to handle, though it would be difficult to continue to wait when they were so, so close, but canceling… She slowly opened the phone. Managing to choke out her name, she held her breath.

"_Sara?"_

"Uh, yeah, Griss, I'm here." Her voice sounded strangled. Why did it sound so strangled? God, she was making an idiot of herself.

"_Did I wake you?"_

"No," she quickly moved to reassure. "No, I was awake."

"_Oh…oh, good. Listen, uh, did you still want…"_

"Yes!" She chuckled to herself, shaking her head at how anxious she sounded. "Yeah, uh…how long will you be?"

"_I'm just leaving the lab. Twenty minutes?"_

"Great…so, great. I'll see you then."

"_Bye, Sara." _She pictured his soft smile and smiled herself.

"Bye."

Sara hung up the phone and decided to change again. Searching through her closet, she decided on the simple jeans and tank only to discover she was already wearing jeans and a tank top. She shook her head again. She was acting so…nervous, like a teenager going on her first date. It was only Grissom. And that was why. It was Grissom, the man she was completely head over heels in love with and she wanted to look desirable and natural without looking like she went to the effort of looking desirable and natural. She fixed her hair, re-pinning the strands that had gotten loose and moved about the apartment, tidying up her already tidy space, replacing the pillows she'd kicked off the sofa with her anticipatory fidgeting.

Almost exactly twenty minutes later, she heard the soft knock on her door. Moving to it slowly, she took a few moments to collect herself before opening it to find Grissom in tux. She gaped, wondering why she'd expected him to have changed. Here she was, in jeans and a tank-top and he was in a tux. His tie was undone and hanging around his neck, yet still, he was in a tux and looking sexy as hell, sexier even than he had at the ball when his bow tie was done up and she was in a tank-top and jeans.

Grissom stared at her from the doorway, tilting his head. "Hey."

"Hi," she responded quietly, her nerves still getting the better of her. Grissom continued to watch her, his head cocked to the side and she realized he was waiting on her to ask him in. She opened the door, shaking her head, before letting said head fall to the door, laughing at herself. She was totally over thinking this.

"What is it?"

She closed the door and turned to Grissom. "Nothing, it's uh, you're still in your tux."

Grissom frowned. "Yeah, well it seems I didn't learn my lesson from last time and I forgot to bring a change of cloths."

She grinned and offered a little tease. "Did you process the scene in your tux?"

"Lab issued coveralls. I put the tux back on after I showered. I didn't want to take the time to go home…"

"Oh." _Oh_. He hadn't wanted to go home first. He'd wanted to go straight to her place. Sara wondered if she was wearing the same stupid, big smile on her face as she felt build up inside her. It had to be plastered all over her. There was no way she could hide how giddy she felt with his words. She hid her face and turned towards the kitchen. "Well, um, you must be hungry then. Can I get you anything? There's not much here, but I have fruit and cereal, and…"

"Sara?"

Sara looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"Cereal and fruit would be great."

Sara smiled, shaking her head again. If only she could get over her nerves. Never in a million did she ever think she'd be the one making chosen mutual time off spent together awkward. It should be easier than this. She knew what she wanted to do, and yet… Well, it was a lot harder now that they'd already taken the tentative first steps, as though there was more weighing in the balance. There was that question of how far it would go that morning…

Don't think about it, she told herself. The answer, she supposed, would come in its own time. Sara moved to her cupboard and poured Grissom some cereal. She sat across from him at her breakfast bar and watched as he peeled a banana and mixed bites between it and the cereal. She really, would be happy enough just watching him in her home, doing this all day.

*****

Grissom looked up at the bowl of cereal and gazed at the young woman watching him. Sara's elbows were on the breakfast bar. Her hands rested on her fists as she watched him, eyes wide and smiling. She was gorgeous. He swallowed the last spoonful of cereal and stood, placing his bowl in the sink. He turned back to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He smiled and neither said anything. What do they do now? In normal circumstances, he'd know what to do. He'd move in and kiss the girl and let things lead where they may lead, but this wasn't normal circumstances. This was Sara. He'd never wanted to move in and kiss a girl as much as he did her in his entire life, yet, he couldn't. He didn't know how. When it came to her, he always froze up. She was the only woman who'd ever had the ability to stop him in his tracks, to completely cloud his mind and make him lose the ability to speak, let alone act. Besides, he wanted to take things slow. They'd denied each other so much and, he thought, he wanted a little of it back, like the dance they shared the evening before. It was the most painful dance he'd ever experienced in his entire life, wanting and longing for her, and judging by the tears in her red rimmed eyes and the way she had torn herself out of his arms and flew off the dance floor, Sara felt the same. He wanted that dance back. He wanted to hold her to him and guide her around the floor and feel like it was the beginning of something rather than the end. "Sara?"

"Yeah?"

He took a second to form the words in his mind. "Do you think we could have our dance back?"

"Sorry?"

He shook his head. "From last evening…can we redo our dance, sans Ray Charles and the ending where you tore yourself from my arms and left me alone on the dance floor?"

Sara smiled and he couldn't help but return it. "Sure, so, uh, any song you want in particular."

Grissom shrugged. "You choose. Something slow…tender."

He watched Sara pick up her stereo remote and press play on something already in the CD player. The first lyrics and music came on and he took Sara in his arms.

_This is the first day of my life_

_I swear I was born right in the doorway_

He didn't recognize it. He leaned his head back to look at Sara. "What's this?"

_I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed_

_They're spreading blankets on the beach_

"'First day of my life,' by Bright Eyes, off their latest album." Sara paused. "Is this okay?"

_Yours is the first face that I saw_

_Think I was blind before I met you_

_Now I don't know where I am_

_I don't know where I've been_

_But I know where I want to go_

_And so I thought I'd let you know_

_That these things take forever _

_I especially am slow_

_But I realize that I need you_

_And I wonder if I could come home_

"It's perfect."

He pulled her closer, but was stopped by Sara's arm on his chest. She fingered his tie and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged. "I can never get those things."

Sara's hand slipped the tie from his neck and he watched as she tossed it on her floor. "I feel so underdressed." He shook his head. She continued. "If I had known you would still be in your tux, I wouldn't have changed out of my dress."

Grissom thought of Sara in her dress and how stunning she looked. She'd taken his breath away. "You could always change back into it." He glanced down at her fitted jeans and tank-top and realized she was just as alluring in this wardrobe. There was something incredibly attractive about being intimate with her in her home with her in comfortable, yet sexy, everyday clothing. She would always be beautiful and he liked the relaxed, natural beauty she possessed. The tux and dress were so formal and he had decidedly wanted the evening to be informal…more intimate. He eyed her appreciatively. "Then again, there is something to be said about this outfit."

Sara raised an eyebrow. He smiled. "You can pull out the dress another time." Her hand came over his shoulder and he pulled her in tighter, swaying her to the music. He closed his eyes.

_Remember the time you drove all night  
Just to meet me in the morning  
And I thought it was strange you said everything changed  
You felt as if you'd just woke up  
And you said "this is the first day of my life  
I'm glad I didn't die before I met you  
But now I don't care I could go anywhere with you  
And I'd probably be happy"_

Grissom dipped his head to brush his lips over the back of her shoulder, at the base of her neck. "I wanted to do that last night." He felt Sara's hand slide down his back a little further, bringing their bodies even closer together. He dipped his head and kissed her neck, feeling her arm pull his body tight to hers.

_So if you want to be with me  
With these things there's no telling  
We just have to wait and see  
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck  
Than waiting to win the lottery  
Besides maybe this time is different  
I mean I really think you like me_

The lyrics drifted off and song faded away. Just as another began to start, Grissom felt Sara stop moving her feet. He stilled as well. Dropping her hand, he placed both his hands on her back. Her hands slid up his chest, trapped between their bodies as he leaned forward and kissed her.

It started out slow, as long, lingering, kisses soon deepened. Sara's arms came around his neck and he tightened his embrace, pulling on her back and tasting her lips over and over again.

He stood in her living room, content to just stand there and kiss her all morning, and he did. They kissed and he ran his hands up and down her back. They kissed and she played with the hair on the nape of his neck. They kissed and paused and kissed some more. Only after quite some time did he feel Sara step back, pulling him with her, still kissing as they edged towards her bedroom.

Inside, he lifted her tank-top from her body, breaking the kiss just long enough to pull the garment over her head. His hands slid over her skin as they removed each other's clothing piece by piece, kissing. He laid her gently on her bed, staring down reverently at her and pressing kisses to her skin as they slowly made love.

*****

Sara woke to Grissom's breath on her neck. She smiled and tried turning in is arms, but finding his embrace tightening. He pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "Sara." She smiled and turned in his grip, surprised to find his eyes closed. His breath was still even, soft signs that he was still very much asleep. His hands on her back pulled her in closer. Her smile widened.

Enjoying the opportunity to just watch him, Sara lifted her hand and traced her fingers over his brow. She dipped down and kissed his shoulder blade, finding herself so unbelievably ecstatic over everything that had happened in the past fourteen or so hours. She brushed her lips over his shoulder again and felt him twitch, then stir. His hands glided over her back and she felt his lips land softly on her forehead. She tilted her head up and found her gaze locked to his, brilliant blue eyes staring at her. He had a soft smile on his face and she felt her own smile grow. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

Grissom pulled her in tighter, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Mmm, very."

She grinned. "Yeah, me too."

Grissom yawned and Sara smiled. "Still tired? You can go back to sleep, you know."

He shook his head. "No, I think I'd like to just lay here for awhile if that's all right with you."

Her face beamed with her smile. "Sure, that's fine. You can stay."

"Why, thank you."

Sara laughed and dropped her head against his chest. She felt Grissom pull her in a little closer. "Then, maybe, we can have dinner later?"

She nodded against his chest before she remembered Jonah. Her head snapped up. "Griss, I really want to, but I promised Jonah I'd meet him for dinner." She glanced at him hopefully. "Rain check?"

"Definitely."

She snuggled in closer, closing her eyes at the feel of Grissom running a hand up and down her back. He kissed the top of her head. "This is the first day of our life, Sara."

FIN.


End file.
